"You gave up all those lives just to keep me from my kids," the woman in a blood-red dress said, walking closer to the group of men wielding strange powers.
"You're the one who took those lives. We can't let you cross into another universe," the man with flowing golden hair replied. He sounded sad, like it hurt to turn against one of his own.
"I'm not some monster, Matthew," the woman said calmly. "I'm a mother."
"Blood crow, you don't have kids," Matthew replied, shaking his head slightly. "They don't exist."
"Oh, but they do... in every other universe. I know they do," Blood crow said, holding her fingers together thoughtfully. "Because I dream of them every night."
She moved her hand slightly, and the blood on the ground shifted, forming shapes of humans.
The scene from her dream came alive: she and her children laughing and playing. Surprisingly, the image was clear, though red. A smile crept across her face.
"Every night, the same dream," she murmured softly, lowering her hands as the image collapsed into a pool of blood. Her expression turned cold.
"Every morning, the same nightmare."
With that, she attacked. The whole world was shrouded in blood, the sea and ocean turning deep red. The world became her domain, Blood crow's Domain. Fear gripped the people as they watched in terror.
Her former teammates fought desperately for their lives—not that Blood crow wanted to take them. She was after the portal to another universe, her mind set on replacing her other self.
The world shuddered violently as continents began to collapse, wiping out countless lives in an instant. Beneath them, the azure jungle crumbled into nothingness, disappearing like dust in the wind. Blood crow hovered in the air, arms spread wide in a T-pose, her eyes closed in eerie stillness.
Suddenly, the planet began to crumple inward. The sky above twisted and folded in on itself, as if reality were tearing apart. A blood-red flame erupted, devouring the planet from the inside out, its heat searing every trace of life.
This time, Blood crow made her choice clear: anyone who stood in her way would die. If they wouldn't let her be happy, she'd rather destroy them all.
"Blood crow, you'll kill everyone on the planet! Don't you remember our sacrifices to protect them from the Dark Ones? Please, stop this!" Matthew screamed, his voice breaking as he watched one of their teammates thrash violently, drowning in a sea of blood.
Horror gripped him. None of them had ever seen the full extent of Blood crow's abilities before. But now, she was unleashing everything—all for a chance to become a mother by taking the place of her other self.
Matthew hesitated, doubt creeping in. Had they made a mistake stopping her? They'd thought they could contain her, but now it was clear: Blood crow was the most powerful being in their planet... universe perhaps.
Suddenly, red crows erupted into the air, their screeches piercing the chaos. Their malevolent eyes locked onto Matthew, freezing him in place. His breath hitched as blood began to seep from his body, draining him slowly.
Blood crow tilted her head, her voice calm and chilling. "None of you realized I can control the blood in your veins, did you?" she asked.
"Honestly, I almost forgot about this ability myself." She sighed thoughtfully. "I don't want to kill everyone on this planet, but you're making me reconsider. Maybe eradicating this entire universe is the best way to avoid future trouble."
Then, with no warning, another figure separated from her body—a clone. The second Blood crow smiled lightly, her expression unnervingly serene.
"Go," the clone said softly.
Blood crow nodded, mustering the last of her energy to warp herself into the void corridor—a shimmering space portal.
"No! Goddammit, stop her!" Matthew screamed, desperation thick in his voice.
The clone turned to him, her smile widening. "Oh, have you all forgotten about me?" she asked, her tone almost playful. "I'm not as merciful as the original."
She gestured toward the blood sea below, her eyes dark with intent. "I'll start by reaping the lives on this planet. After that, I'll visit the thousands of others in this universe."
The blood sea roared to life, shifting and twisting until it formed a colossal blood dragon. Its deafening roar reverberated across the crumbling planet.
The clone climbed onto the dragon's back, her voice a whisper that carried in the air. "Bathe this world in red."
The dragon surged into the sky, casting a crimson shadow over the land. The world was drowned in blood. Humans, animals, Dark Ones, monsters—everything with blood was reduced to pools of crimson.
And those without blood? They were mercilessly bombarded with blood spears and swords until they, too, crumbled into nothing.
_______________________________
[Name: Reddington Draemir]
[Title: Youngest son of Draemir family]
[Current Tier: Novice Resonance, Stage 15]
[Celestial Aspect: Solar Ember]
[Status: Active]
VITALITY: ██████████ 74/100 (Health & stamina pool)
AETHER CONTROL: ███████ 45/70 (Energy pool & regeneration rate)
STRENGTH: ██████ 32/50 (Physical power & endurance)
AGILITY: █████████ 60/80 (Speed, reflexes, and evasion)
RESISTANCE: ██████ 25/40 (Survivability against Sun, Moon, and other hazards)
CELESTIAL INSIGHT: ████████ 12/20 (Mastery over Stellar Seed abilities)
[Resonance Stage 15 → Trial Threshold: Stage 20]
Progress: ██████████ 75%
Trial Readiness: Moderate
Sun Resistance: 40%
Moon Resistance: 20%
[Current Location: Sunlit Barrens]
Environment Status: HIGH HEAT (Critical Danger)
- Sun Resistance: 40% (Moderate protection)
- Moon Resistance: 0% (Inapplicable)
[Inventory]:
- Solar Core Shard x3 (Boosts Sun Resistance temporarily)
- Lunar Ice Fragment x1 (Absorbs heat to protect against Sun)
- Healing Salve x2 (Restores 30 Vitality over 10 seconds)
Enemy Defeated: Solar Beast (Rank 2)
Experience Gained: +150
Resonance Stage Progress: +5%
Loot Acquired: Solar Core Shard
[WARNING]: Celestial Energy Low! Use Aether Recovery items.
[WARNING]: High Heat Levels Detected! Find shelter immediately.
_____________________
Reddington Draemir quickly released his thermal tent, taking shelter inside before the sun could turn him to ash.
As an awakened, there was only so much he could endure under the annihilating sun.
Right now, he could survive for thirty seconds without protection, but he could last fifteen full second under the moon.
The sun burned everything to cinders, while the moon froze anything in its path.
This was the world they lived in now. All humans knew was that the war between the gods had caused the world to fall into this state.
Some people said the sun and moon weren't always this dangerous. But Redditon couldn't bring himself to believe it.
It had been millions of years since the world had been like this. Did that mean, millions of years ago, the sun and moon were something people enjoyed gazing at and basking under?
That was impossible. Really, it was impossible. The humans back then weren't awakened, they didn't have superpowers or celestial energies to protect them.
And, of course, they didn't have the sweet little systems that all of them carried now.
The sun was starting to set, and Redditon prepared himself to rush home. The period between sunset and moonrise was the safest time for those who had ventured out to return.
Surviving under the moon without special equipment was nearly impossible, but that equipment was costly.
His family could afford it, sure, but they'd rather spend everything on his brothers, who were hailed as prodigies.
As for Reddington? No one thought much of him. He was the child of the first wife, and his mother was a gentle, easygoing woman—always avoiding trouble, always calm...
...It frustrated him to no end.
As Reddington walked home, his face was covered in dust as he threaded his way through the desert. Well, not exactly a desert—it was once a river, but the sun had dried it out. The waters would rush back once the moon rose high in the sky.
He moved quickly toward the human safe zone, breathing a sigh of relief when he finally reached it.
He made his way to the public toilet, intent on taking a shower and changing into something presentable.
After all, he didn't want anyone to know what he'd been up to recently.
"Reddington?" A voice called out to him as he stepped out of the public bathroom.
He turned around and found himself face-to-face with his fiancée, accompanied by another woman he immediately recognized as a marriage counselor.
"Oh... I almost forgot. My template is the waste who gets dumped by his fiancée, becomes overpowered, and then, of course, she wants him back," he mused, recalling the manga's he used to read as a child.
"Are you here for a divorce?" Redditon asked, as he raised an eyebrow.